Applicants' prior applications disclose intravascular leads used to deliver energy stimulus to the heart, or to nervous system structures such as nerves and nerve endings, and/or used to deliver agents into the bloodstream. See U.S. 2005/0043765 entitled INTRAVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEM AND METHOD; U.S. 2005/0234431, entitled INTRAVASCULAR DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR THERAPEUTIC AGENTS; U.S. 2007/0255379 entitled INTRAVASCULAR DEVICE FOR NEUROMODULATION, U.S. Ser. No. 12/413,495 filed Mar. 27, 2009 entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRANSVASCULARLY STIMULATING CONTENTS OF THE CAROTID SHEATH; and U.S. Ser. No. 12/419,717 filed Apr. 7, 2009 and entitled INTRAVASCULAR SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL.
FIG. 1 shows such one such system positioned in the vasculature. The illustrated system includes an elongate device body 12, one or more leads 14, and a retention device or anchor 16.
The leads may be used to electrically couple the device body 12 to elements 26 such as electrodes, ultrasound transducers, or other elements that will direct energy to target tissue. When they are to be used for delivering agents into the vasculature, the leads fluidly couple the device body to fluid ports such as valves, openings, or fluid transmissive membranes. Some leads might include sensors that are positioned for detecting certain conditions of the patient and for transmitting signals indicative of the sensed conditions.
The leads 14 are connected to the device body 12, which is also positioned in the vasculature. The device body houses a power source which may include a battery and a power generation circuit to produce operating power for energizing the stimulation elements and/or to drive a pump for delivery of agents and/or to operate sensors. Where the implant is an electrical stimulator, the intravascular housing includes an electrical pulse generator for generating stimulation pulses for transmission to the patient via electrodes associated with the leads and optionally to other electrodes directly on the body of the implantable device. A processor may be included in the intravascular housing for controlling operation of the device.
Some of the disclosed leads are anchored in blood vessels using expandable anchors 16 which may have stent-like or other suitable configurations. Stimulation elements such as the electrodes 26 may be carried by the anchor 16. As shown in FIG. 1, the anchors expand into contact with the vessel walls to maintain the position of the lead and to position electrodes 26 in contact with the vessel wall. Similar anchoring devices may be used to anchor the device body 12 if needed.
Use of external charging devices for inductively recharging batteries of medical implants has been previously described. Use of external programmers to remotely communicate with implants has also been described. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,986 which describes a stent having ultrasonic sensors where an antenna on or forming the stent is used to communicate with an external device and to receive electrical power electromagnetically transmitted from an external device.